7 Things
by LadeeBear
Summary: There were seven things that Sonny Monroe really hated about Chad Dylan Cooper. Sonny/Chad, multi-chapter.
1. You're Vain

**Author's Note: I have to say that I am so very honored and humbled to have read all of your reviews for **_First Kiss _**and **_The Opposite of Jealous_**. It sounds so cliché, but I really do smile every time I read a thoughtful review, so thank you all! This is my first multi-chapter Sonny/Chad fic, so I hope you all enjoy it! **

**Disclaimers: I do not own **_Sonny With a Chance_**, nor do I own Miley Cyrus or her song "7 Things," whose lyrics are featured throughout this story. (If you don't figure it out right away, each chapter is going to be one of the '7 things' that the song mentions. I just tweaked them a bit to give them a Channy feel.)**

**Please, sit back, relax, and enjoy the first chapter of this story. I hope to update on a somewhat regular basis, but due to work and schedules next week (I'm totally seeing Demi Lovato in concert next Saturday night!) I may not be able to update every few days or week. But please, stick with this story if you enjoy it, and let me know by commenting!**

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7 Things

"…_but nothing's ever gonna change until you hear, my dear, the seven things I hate about you. The seven things I hate about you, oh, you…"_

Chapter 1: You're Vain

"Chad Dylan Cooper, you are the most self-absorbed, annoying human being I have ever had the misfortune of coming into contact with!"

To say that Sonny was fuming would be an understatement. If she were a volcano, she would have been Vesuvius right before the terror of Pompeii. If she were a balloon, her rubber remnants would have been scattered onto the dirty ground. If she were…well, you get it.

Hands clutching her hips, the brunette's wild eyes locked on her nemesis' own. Chad seemed entirely unfazed by Sonny's shouting.

"Sonny, Sonny, Sonny…" he began slowly.

"Don't even start with me, Chad," she snapped. "Your vanity has once again ruined what would have been a nice day for me."

Chad's eyebrows rose skeptically and he turned from where a make-up assistant was gently patting his face with powder. He shooed her away and she heartily obeyed, mumbling "What a relief" on her way off set. Once the woman was out of sight, Chad rose from his chair and stood, arms crossed in front of his chest.

"Now, would you please explain to me how I could have possibly ruined your day?"

The brunette's eyes narrowed. "The fact that you are so shallow and vain and an all-around un-caring human being has left me to deal with a pretty distraught Melanie."

Chad glared at Sonny as they squared off, but couldn't help but be stung by her words. Is that really how she felt about him? Did she really think that he was a selfish human being, incapable of thinking about anyone other than himself?

"What does Melanie have to do with me being vain?"

"Well, for starters, she said that you broke up with her through a text message," Sonny began.

Chad shrugged his shoulders. "You already know that I don't dump girls to their faces. It's just easier that way," he said. "And besides," he repeated, "what does that have to do with me being vain?"

"You didn't let me finish," she huffed. Chad waved his hand, and the brunette continued. "She said that all you ever talked about on dates was yourself and how great you were and how lucky she should have been to be dating you, and on, and on…"

Sonny had trailed off to find Chad checking his reflection in the mirror.

"…and I rest my case!" the brunette actress exclaimed.

Chad diverted his attention from the teen heartthrob in the mirror and back to the aggravated young woman in front of him. "Your case is flawed," he retorted.

Sonny laughed. "Oh, my_ case _is flawed? If anything is flawed in this room, Chad Dylan Cooper, it's _you_. You bought her a mirror for Christmas!"

"…so?" Chad asked.

"The mirror was so you could look at your reflection!" she cried.

Chad appeared to be deep in thought for a moment. "Wait, so, what's your point?" he asked lazily.

Sonny groaned in frustration. "My point, Chad, is that your ego is bigger than the entire state of California! My point is that you're a heartless jerk, that you couldn't go two minutes without looking at yourself…should I continue?"

Chad put his hand over his heart. "Ouch, Sonny, that hurts," he dryly remarked. "If you are through with insulting me, I have a _real _television show to rehearse for…" Chad turned his back on Sonny, knowing that the brunette was far from being through with yelling at him. He couldn't help it. For a reason unbeknownst to him, he just loved to push Sonny's buttons.

Instead of an outburst, Chad barely heard Sonny's response. With a shake of his perfectly styled blonde hair, the actor turned to face his opponent.

"Can you repeat that, Sonny?" he asked.

Sonny heaved a sigh and stared at the floor for a moment before locking eyes with Chad. "Why are you so vain around everyone anyway?"

The forwardness of her question stunned him. Why _was_ he so arrogantly vain around everyone that he knew? He supposed that it had to do partially with the media. They built him up so much and put him on a pedestal – how else was he supposed to act? It had to do with the way that he saw himself, also. Chad Dylan Cooper could not be the famous star of the hit tween drama _Mackenzie Falls_ and be humble about it, now could he? He had to, obviously, believe that he was the best in order to become the best.

But why was it that, around Sonny Monroe, Chad saw himself in an entirely new light. Around her, his arrogance and pride were ugly creatures, detestable, vile, and not at all resemblances of the glory and excellence that _Tween Weekly _wrote about. What made being around Sonny so different?

He refused to acknowledge that it was because he liked her, because he didn't. Or, rather, he couldn't. To like Sonny would mean that Chad would have to become someone completely new, completely different, and completely… Completely what? Admirable? Sincere? Genuine? Romantic? Because he, Chad Dylan Cooper, would be _choosing _Sonny Monroe. Instead of random fans fawning all over him, or drooling co-stars merely interested in dating for fame, Chad would be selecting, hand-picking a girl that he wanted.

And he wasn't sure that he was ready for that, no matter how jealous he got when Sonny went on dates, or how crazy she made him feel when they held hands, or how down he would feel after seeing her frown. No matter what butterflies, heart-skips, or fuzzy feelings settled inside of him, Chad resolved to not succumb to Sonny's charm, if only for the sake of the popularity of Chad Dylan Cooper.

Chad knew he had been zoned out, because Sonny snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Hello, I know that there may not be much inside of there to work with, but when someone asks a question, they usually like an answer."

Chad shook his blonde hair and took a step toward Sonny, lowering his voice. He beckoned with her to lean in, and she obliged, hoping that Chad couldn't hear the sound of her heart pounding underneath her jacket. With his mouth to her ears, he whispered: "I don't like to ruin my image, okay? Let's just keep that as our secret."

Sonny swallowed and nodded and Chad pulled his face away from her hair, regrettably. She smelled like strawberries. Their eyes connected, faces dangerously close, before both jumped back and cleared their throats simultaneously.

Sonny fumbled. "So, uh –"

"You know, I better –"

"Wait," Sonny said, causing Chad to pause. "Chad, I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier. It's just that, to all these people, you're so obnoxiously vain and self-centered. And, even though you say that you can't help it, I know that you can. Who knows, Chad, maybe if people saw the real you, you'd get more dates," she concluded with a chuckle.

Chad rolled his eyes, but drew himself to full height and puffed out his chest proudly. "Chad Dylan Cooper doesn't need to get more dates." He would never tell her that the only opinion that really mattered to him was _hers_. _Ugh, _he thought, _when did I turn into a chick-flick?_

It was Sonny's turn to roll her eyes. "Whatever Chad," she responded with a smirk. Before turning on her heels to leave, the brunette appeared thoughtful.

Chad's eyebrows furrowed. "That's your thinking face. What are you thinking about now?"

With a dismissive wave of her hand, Sonny feigned casualty. "Oh, nothing, I was just thinking that the reason Zac Efron has more fans than you is because he's not vain."

The brunette didn't wait to see her rival's expression as she skipped toward her studio, but she heard him floundering for an explanation and yelling it across his set.

"Bu-but, oh, I am _so _less vain than Zac Efron!"

Chad's make-up assistant had returned and he looked toward her for affirmation. The blonde woman looked the flustered star up and down.

"No comment."

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**It's a bit of a shorter chapter, but I don't think these seven chapters are going to be very long at all. The last one may be, but of course that is a few chapters down the road! I hope you all enjoyed, and give me constructive feedback if you can. Thanks again!**


	2. Your Games

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Thank you all so much for the awesome feedback that you have given on all of my stories. It really means a lot to me that I have so many devoted and enthusiastic readers. I am sorry for the delay in updating, but I've had a busy weekend. Demi Lovato came to my area this weekend and my friend and I went to her concert. Let me just say – AMAZING! She seems like the nicest person, too. In short, I had fun rocking out and belting her songs!

**BUT I hope you all are ready for a new chapter of "7 Things" because you are getting it! And you all know the drill, I am sure: read, review, and repeat!**

**Author's Note: Spoilers for "Sonny in the Kitchen With Dinner" lie ahead!**

**Disclaimer: I do not now, nor have I ever owned, Miley Cyrus or "Sonny With a Chance." Everything else is purely my creative license.**

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7 Things

"…_but nothing's ever gonna change until you hear, my dear, the seven things I hate about you. The seven things I hate about you, oh, you…"_

Chapter 2: Your Games

Tawni Hart tilted her head to the side, mirroring the action that her roommate was already practicing. The pair was studying, quite intently, a vase of beautifully arranged flowers that had been set on the table that the two shared. Roses, birds of paradise, sweet peas, lilacs, and daisies dotted the bouquet. A card had been tucked into a tiny ivory envelope and jutted out from the side of the arrangement.

"You wanna read the card, or should I?" the blonde asked, finally breaking the silence. Sonny stirred from her thoughts and appeared to be debating with herself inwardly.

"No, I'll read it," she answered, plucking the card from its home. The last time she had received flowers had been when James Conroy had tried to charm her. But the flowers that sat before her on the table now were ten times as beautiful as those. Sonny knew that they had to be for Tawni.

The blonde actress flipped a lock of hair over her shoulder and craned her neck to read over Sonny's. Her fingers pulled a small card from the envelope onto which a message was scrawled.

"_Dear Sonny_," the brunette began to read aloud. Tawni jabbed her co-star accidentally as she bounced up and down in excitement. Sonny's shoulders were shaking slightly as Tawni continued to express her excitement through jumping. "_I'm sorry for being rude to you yesterday. You don't deserve that – you never do. Forgive me? Signed, TV's Chad Dylan Cooper_."

Tawni immediately stopped bouncing.

"Chad?" she cried incredulously. Sonny had to read the card over and over before her eyes would believe what they saw. Chad Dylan Cooper had apologized to her. Not only that, but he had also sent her flowers, gorgeous, perfect flowers. That was it – she officially hated that boy.

Tawni was still in shock. "Chad?" she echoed, nearly screeching. Her eyes widened in sheer disbelief. "Chad?"

"I think we've established the fact that it was Chad who sent these," Sonny replied. Her chocolate eyes passed over the flowers and then settled on her co-star, whose expression of confusion had evolved into a countenance of understanding.

"He's totally smitten," Tawni said matter-of-factly.

Sonny's eyebrows arched in puzzlement. "Smitten?"

Tawni maneuvered her way into her make-up chair and glanced in the mirror admiringly before turning her attention back to Sonny. "You know, infatuated, crazy about, fallen for…"

"I know what it means," the brunette responded, "I'm just surprised that _you _know what it means."

Tawni glared at Sonny's smirking reflection in her mirror before whirling around in her seat. "I'll have you know that I can be very intelligent when I choose to be."

"I'm not denying that fact."

"Good," Tawni concluded, "because you're about to get some boy advice from a very intelligent, beautiful, funny, talented –"

"Tawni!"

"– girl," the blonde concluded. Sonny rolled her eyes and settled into the couch, arms folded protectively over her chest. The last person she wanted to be getting relationship advice from was Tawni. Actually, the last thing she wanted to hear from Tawni was relationship advice. She didn't even need relationship advice because she _had _no relationship.

Sighing, the perky blonde rose from her seat and flopped next to Sonny on the couch. "It's so obvious why he sent you those flowers," she explained.

Sonny shook her head. "It's because he loves games, Tawni. He thrives on the fact that one moment we hate each other, and the next he just does something super sweet to make up for the fact that he was such a jerk. If there's one thing I can't stand about Chad Dylan Cooper it's that I never know when he's being genuine. See, I think that he is a jerk-throb half of the time, and then the other half…"

"…you actually enjoy being around him?" Tawni offered.

A nod was Sonny's response. The actress sighed before continuing. "He's just so unbelievably frustrating."

In return, the blonde shrugged a shoulder. "Maybe he's not just playing games with you. Maybe he really does like you."

Sonny scoffed and laughed nervously. "Come on, Tawni, you're making it sound like I like Chad and I do _not_ like Chad." The brunette paused for a moment. "And there's no way he likes me."

"Why did he send you flowers?"

"Because he wants me to crawl over to Studio 2 and melt at his feet like all of the other girls."

"Why did he get jealous when he saw you kissing Hayden on the cover of _Tween Weekly_?"

"Because for once, the cover wasn't about him or his stupid show."

"Why did he get you an audition for a movie role he knew you loved?"

"So he could rub his so-called generosity in my face forever."

"Why did he dress up like Eric for you?"

Sonny's eyebrows knit in confusion.

"Yes," Tawni responded with a roll of her eyes, "I found out about that. Duh."

"Well," Sonny countered, "he wanted to try on the beard."

"Why did he save you a dance at prom?"

"Because he always does what he's told not to do."

"Why did he admit that you have pretty hair?"

Sonny faltered. "Because he…because he was trying to throw me off from yelling at him."

Tawni, once more, rolled her eyes at her companion and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Sonny, you are so clueless."

Sonny Monroe was a bright young woman. She never made less than straight A's, could think on her feet, and would never back away from a challenge. She had enough self-confidence to encourage her, and enough modesty to allow her to shine, even amongst the Hollywood celebrities. Because of her acuteness, Sonny knew that there was a possibility – she chose to believe it was miniscule – that Chad liked her as someone more than just a yelling partner.

When she had arrived in Hollywood, Sonny had yearned for a friend who would stick by her throughout the difficult roads that would lie ahead. In the midst of homesickness, her cast was there to welcome her. But Tawni was right – Chad had also been there, always silently supporting her, even if he claimed to abhor her show and demean her acting skills.

Chad was never there for anyone. Chad Dylan Cooper was a three-named solo act. He didn't need to care about the feelings of others. And yet, he seemed to care a whole lot about what happened to a girl from Wisconsin.

Sonny's mass of brunette locks shook as her head swung from side to side. "No, Tawni, there is no way he likes me."

Tawni sighed and mimicked Sonny through shaking her head. "Look, I tried to give you boy advice…"

"…which I never asked for."

"…but you _clearly _need."

"I'm not buying the fact that he isn't playing games with me. He's totally just trying to mess with my head. I'll bet that he's just sitting in his little make-up chair right now, waiting for me to burst through the door and fawn all over him."

"He might be waiting for you to burst through the door," Tawni remarked, "but maybe he wants you to finally admit that you like him."

With her voice rising, Sonny had begun to grow more impatient with her co-star. "That's what he _wants_!" she exclaimed. "He just wants me to adore and worship him because then he wins!"

"What if it's not a game? What if Chad really just wants to know deep down how you feel about him so he can say it back to you?"

"But it _is _a game – everything is a game to him!"

"But what if it's not?"

"But it is!"

"But what if it's not?"

"But it _is_!"

"But –"

Sonny leapt up from the couch and swiveled her figure to face Tawni. "You don't know him like I do, Tawni. He's full of games, and this is just one more game," she explained.

Tawni, though clearly startled by Sonny's sudden movement, appeared unfazed by her words. Instead of arguing further, the blonde threw up her hands in defeat. "You win, Sonny."

Sonny crossed her arms in front of her and arched her back to appear a bit taller. "Well, good then," she said with pride. "I just know how Chad works, and those," she pointed to the flowers, "are just another ploy of his."

"Whatever you say," Tawni concluded. Upon glancing at the clock, she added: "We should get to rehearsal before Marshall has a cow."

Sonny exhaled all of her stress and negative emotions before genuinely smiling and exiting the dressing room. Before leaving, Tawni glanced at the bouquet of flowers from every angle and read the card over once more. She smirked and shook her head.

"He is _so _not playing games this time."

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**So what did you all think? Love this chapter? Hate it? Whatever you thought of it, just type it out in a comment and be sure to review the chapter. Look for chapter 3 sometime by mid to the end of this week!**


	3. You're Insecure

**Sorry for the delay in updating, everyone! Thanks again to everyone who commented on last chapter and who has commented on my other one-shots. I feel like a broken record, but as a writer, I always crave feedback and it feels great to read such wonderful responses! So please, sit back, relax, and enjoy the third chapter of "7 Things" as my treat to you all wonderful reviewers!**

**Spoilers: "Guess Who's Coming to Guest Star?"**

**Disclaimer: You all should know by now that I pretty much own nothing related to SWAC. **

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7 Things

"…_but nothing's ever gonna change until you hear, my dear, the seven things I hate about you. The seven things I hate about you, oh, you…"_

Chapter 3: You're Insecure

Chad Dylan Cooper knew exactly who he was…

…most of the time.

He knew that he was a successful, young Hollywood star. He knew that he was ambitious. He knew that he would do almost anything to maintain his celebrity status, and didn't care, or rather, _couldn't_ care, about who he hurt in the process.

And then, there were days where Chad thought he had himself all figured out, but something usually shook him free from his security and into the unknown. Those were the days when Sonny Monroe was usually around.

He didn't know exactly what it was about that particular perky brunette, but whenever she was near him, he usually started fumbling for words. Of course, Chad Dylan Cooper always had perfect saves – he had never lost himself completely around her. The closest he had come was the night where they had to do a sketch together.

"_Guess we'll fall in love now," Chad replied with his signature smirk. Sonny caught his mistake before he had a chance to correct himself._

"_We?" she asked. He had been tormenting her the entire week into believing that she would be the one to fall in love with him. She raised her eyebrows, half-puzzled, half-bemused. _

_Darn it. "You, I said you!" Chad corrected, slightly stumbling, but only momentarily, because Chad Dylan Cooper could not be shaken from his perfect composure._

_Sonny's arms remained folded across her chest as she corrected him once again. "You said 'we,'" she replied matter-of-factly. _

_Chad's eyes widened momentarily before he scoffed and quickly recovered. "Yeah, well, 'we' is my nickname for you," he informed Sonny, who was clearly not buying into his excuse. "We happy?"_

Yeah, that had definitely been a close call, but Chad in all of his glory, had still managed to shake off that slight stumble. As the blonde sat, replaying that moment in his mind, an inexplicable feeling passed over him. Dismissing it as a slight reaction to the food he ate in the commissary a few hours ago, Chad returned to admiring himself in the mirror.

And there she was again.

Literally.

The actor swiveled his chair around and faced a smiling Sonny. He noticed how her entire face really did light up when she smiled, unlike the vast majority of the people he had known whose faces only seemed to twinkle in comparison. No, her face was definitely a Rockefeller-Plaza-at-Christmas type of smile. Stupid smile.

"Whatcha want Monroe?" he asked.

Sonny scuffed the toes of her Converse along the floor in that aw-shucks way that Chad thought was absolutely adorable. It made her seem like a seven-year old, asking permission to run next-door to her best friend's house for a sleepover. Stupid adorable.

"I heard that you had an extra seat in your car for the Tween Weekly Awards tonight…"

Chad laughed and Sonny shot him a sharp glare before softening her expression into a sweet smile. She batted her long eyelashes at the blonde actor and placed a delicate hand on his shoulder. Chad eyed the hand suspiciously for a moment before removing it from his jacket.

A signature smirk returned to his face. "…and I would assume that you want to ride with me?" Chad asked, raising his eyebrows. He inhaled and chuckled. "I knew you couldn't resist me for long."

Sonny pretended to gag, but upon Chad's glare in her direction, she feigned coughing. Regaining her composure, she sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Chad noticed how silky it looked. He wondered what kind of shampoo she used on it. He remembered, quite vividly, the night where they drove to Lookout Mountain. Her hair smelled like a waterfall that night. Stupid pretty hair.

After a moment's pause, Chad spoke. "You really want to go to the Tween Weekly Awards with me?"

Sonny laughed, but he noticed how she wasn't using her genuine laugh. She was using the kind of laugh where she didn't want to admit something or wanted the other person in the conversation to be distracted. It was her denial laugh. "Me?" she choked out, "I mean, I don't want to go with you, necessarily, it's just that Tawni and Nico and Grady and even Zora all have dates to the show so I'll stick out like a sore thumb."

Chad's perfect grin widened. Sonny noted this and she shook her head, pointing at the blonde. "And do not even try to make this about me liking you, because I _don't_," she emphasized. "I just need a ride, that's all."

"And a date," Chad finished with a twinkle in his blue eyes.

Sonny rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Will you or won't you give me a ride to the awards tonight?"

Chad rose from his chair and appeared to be deliberating for a minute. "Yeah, sure, why not?" he agreed. Much to his surprise, Sonny threw her arms around his neck in gratitude. He awkwardly wrapped his own arms around her in a hug. The brunette didn't move for a moment and Chad noticed how perfectly her head seemed to fit in his shoulder and how comfortable it truly was to be hugging her for the first time. The pair cleared their throats simultaneously, as seemed to be customary with them, and nearly leapt apart.

"So, I, uh, will pick you up at 7?"

Sonny's breathless reply of affirmation trailed behind her as she exited.

And suddenly, that feeling Chad thought had been from commissary food, returned.

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"Ninety-eight, ninety-nine, one hundred!" Chad declared triumphantly as he placed his hairbrush onto the bathroom sink. He admired his reflection in the mirror and smiled with approval. After a quick straightening of his jacket and tie, the actor nodded and admired the finished product in the mirror. Leaning in to study the reflection closer, he noticed a few hairs out of place and licked his fingers before running them over the stragglers.

It was then that Chad realized exactly how insecure he really was.

All of his teenage life, Chad had believed that only girls suffered through bouts of insecurities with image and beauty. And while he sounded like a sissy, Chad had to admit that he did have his insecurities, especially when it came to one particular person.

At that moment, the young star glanced at the clock, and silently cursed as he sprinted for his wallet and keys. Thankfully it was a relatively short drive to Sonny's apartment building, so the blonde arrived on time. He parked his car and waited outside of the building as Sonny had directed him to. Pacing back and forth, Chad could only wonder why his heart had started to beat faster and why he was slightly sweating. It wasn't like he and Sonny were going out on a date or anything. He was just escorting her to the awards show. Just escorting. Like friends did.

A soft "hey" pulled Chad from his thoughts as he turned to face Sonny. With the breath of his half-formed sentence caught in his throat, all Chad could do was stare. In all of her simplicity, Sonny had chosen an elegant silvery strapless dress that fell to the floor. It was strapless, with a sweetheart neckline and an empire waist…not that Chad Dylan Cooper knew this off the top of his head. In his curiosity, he had looked up the style afterwards.

"Wow, you…wow."

Even though the sun was beginning to set and a shadow had crossed their path, Chad could clearly see Sonny's face flush. "Thanks, Chad," she replied with a smile. "You clean up nice. I seem to remember your outfit," the brunette added, noting that her escort was wearing the same ensemble as he did on "prom night."

"It's hard to look bad when you look this good," he smirked, politely opening the car door for his date. _Not a date, _Chad corrected mentally, _just friends_.

With a roll of Sonny's eyes, the pair sped off to the theatre where the awards would be held. They arrived on time and stepped out of the car to meet hundreds of flashing light bulbs and chirping reporters.

Chad leaned over to Sonny as the pair stepped onto the red carpet. "Hey, take my hand," he informed her. Sonny's dramatic eyebrow raise was enough to prompt Chad to continue. "Look, it's going to get really crowded as soon as we round that corner, and if you want a ride home, you better not lose me."

As much as she wanted to protest, Chad did have a valid point. Sighing reluctantly, the brunette placed her hand in Chad's and attempted to ignore the feeling of comfort that accompanied.

Herds of reporters, photographers, and camera crews were waiting as celebrities rounded the corner. Screaming fans congregated along metal gates outside of the theatre, hoping for a glimpse of their favorite stars. Chad Dylan Cooper could have looked back on the photographs, videos, and articles that followed the night of the Tween Weekly Awards and picked out things wrong with his appearance in all of them.

But the only thing he noticed was that in every photograph, video, and article, he was holding the hand of Sonny Monroe.

And he smiled.

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**So, I'm not exactly sure how I feel about this chapter. It's pure fluff and I know it's pretty short. This one is probably the hardest of the 7 things to actually pull of when it comes to Chad. I do feel like he's insecure and I hope I conveyed that a little bit with this chapter. **

**In summary, you all know what to do! And thanks again for reading this story!**


	4. You Love Me, You Like Her

**Thank you to all of you who are continuing to review and compliment this story! It really is a joy to read all of your reviews. I didn't even realize this, but I am jumping back and forth between Chad and Sonny as primary narrators in the chapters. This one will feature Sonny's thoughts, mainly. As always, thank you all for sending me such encouraging feedback, and enjoy this chapter of the story!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Well, that's not entirely true – in this chapter, I do own Reagan and Ashlee.**

**Spoilers: None!**

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7 Things

"…_but nothing's ever gonna change until you hear, my dear, the seven things I hate about you. The seven things I hate about you, oh, you…"_

Chapter 4: You Love Me, You Like Her

Sonny Monroe was fuming.

And it wasn't due to the usual three-named reason. No, the brunette was currently alternating checking her watch and tapping her toes in aggravation because someone was holding up the line for food in the commissary. With Marshall's scheduled rehearsal for the cast's new sketch scheduled to begin in only fifteen minutes, Sonny would have nowhere near enough time to scarf down a plate of food.

The young woman heaved an angry sigh and jostled her way to the front of the line, ignoring the cries of indignation that erupted around her. What she discovered was a tan, lanky blonde teenager arguing with the lunch lady about the contents of her salad.

"Now, are you sure that this is baby arugula? I specifically asked for baby arugula."

The lunch lady rolled her eyes and pointed to the line that was slowly wrapping itself around the commissary. "Yes, now hun, I know you're Chad Dylan Cooper's girlfriend, but I gotta serve other people too."

Sonny's curiosity peaked and before her mental filter could sort through thoughts, words spilled out. "You're Chad's girlfriend?"

The blonde flicked a few locks of hair over her shoulder, a la Tawni, and narrowed hazel eyes scrutinized Sonny. "Yeah, and you must be one of the extras on _Geeky Girl_."

Sonny was about to open her mouth and counter with an emphatic and sarcastic reply, but the boy in line behind her gasped and spoke first. "Dude," he replied, placing a hand on Sonny's shoulder, "do you know who this girl is? She's Sonny Monroe, from _So Random!_ It's like, one of the funniest shows on the air."

Sonny turned around and mouthed a thank you to her defender, then promptly faced the blonde. She was rolling her eyes in apparent disinterest.

"Yeah, whatever," she scoffed. Staring down Sonny coldly once more, the blonde picked up her tray and sauntered out of the commissary. A collective sigh of relief escaped the line, which had remained uncannily silent during her exchange with Sonny.

The brunette was still seething with anger as the she picked up her tray. The boy who had defended her chuckled slightly as he watched her attempt to fill her shaking cup with soda from the fountain. He offered to hold her cup while she pressed the button instead.

"That," he informed her as the pair meandered toward a table, "was Ashlee Adams. She's one of the most attractive teenagers in Hollywood these days…and one of the meanest."

"Gee, I wonder what would make people say that," the brunette dryly replied.

The boy, who Sonny learned was named Reagan, laughed and continued after taking a bite of his taco. "The word on the street is that Ashlee dates guys solely for the fame of it. And since she's such a talented actress, she boosts their publicity up too. The guys usually end up getting movie contracts within a month of starting a relationship with her." At this, Sonny's eyebrows raised and Reagan nodded. "Impressive, right?"

Sonny pondered for a moment. "So, what's the catch?"

"The catch is that after a little while, Ashlee gets bored with her men and ends up publicly humiliating them into oblivion in some way."

"Wait, how does she do that?" Sonny asked.

Reagan thoughtfully recalled. "The last guy she dated was a famous up-and-coming young designer named Oliver Manuel."

Sonny gasped. "Not _the _Oliver Manuel."

"The very same," the boy responded. "And what she did to him was just awful. She completely disgraced him at a party in Paris and left with another guy. The next morning, she had the gall to get on a local Parisian news station and tell everyone that he stole all of his designs from other famous designers."

"And that was the end of Oliver Manuel," the young woman concluded with realization.

Reagan nodded sadly. "No one has heard from him since, which can only make one wonder exactly what her devious plans are for Chad Dylan Cooper."

Sonny's stomach suddenly felt unbearably queasy, and, after thanking Reagan for lunch, the brunette trotted out into the hallway. Upon checking the clock, she realized that any conversation with Chad would have to wait until after rehearsal.

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"Cut!" Marshall called for the fourth time since Nico, Tawni, and Sonny had started their sketch. "Sonny, you seem very distracted today. Is everything alright?"

The actress nodded unconvincingly. Marshall sighed. "Let's just take a ten, everyone." Sonny pulled off her apron angrily. She had been replaying her conversation with Reagan over and over, trying to decipher exactly why Ashlee bothered her so much.

Apart from the evident fact that Ashlee was a heartless, soulless actress, the nagging question on Sonny's mind was simple: why would Chad date someone like that? Everyone thought Chad to be a jerk, and the majority of the time, they were right. Chad Dylan Cooper was vain, self-centered, and egotistical. But he was also sweet, caring, funny, and…

_Wait, what am I thinking? Did I just describe Chad as being sweet?_ Sonny shook her head, trying to clear away the thoughts that had already settled there. She hated so much about Chad, but she couldn't truly bring herself to hate _him_. And he, just like everyone else, deserved only the best in a relationship.

"Tell Marshall I will be right back," Sonny instructed Nico. Before her cast mate had the chance to utter any form of reply, the brunette had taken off at a canter in the direction of Studio 2.

Heart pounding rapidly inside of her chest, Sonny approached Chad's dressing room door and knocked lightly. She could hear the faint sound of footsteps and sighed with relief as her blonde rival opened the door.

"Good, you're here," she said. "I wanted to talk to you about…"

"Chaddy, who's at the door?" a shrill voice asked.

Chad looked over his shoulder then back toward Sonny before replying. "It's one of the Randoms. This won't take long," he assured her, stepping out into the hallway and shutting the dressing room door behind him with a click. "What's up Monroe?"

Sonny's scoff indicated that he should clearly know why she was standing in front of him. When Chad looked searchingly at her, Sonny sighed. "It's about your jerk of a girlfriend in there."

Chad's eyebrows arched and he smirked. "Jealous?"

"Are you kidding me?" the brunette asked incredulously. "That girl in there is more of a jerk than you are on your bad days, and you think that I am actually _jealous_ of her?"

"Well," Chad remarked, popping his suit collar slightly, "who wouldn't be jealous to be going out with moi?"

Sonny ignored his statement and instead pulled him down the hall, away from earshot of Ashlee. "Look, Chad, you don't know what I do about her. She's not good news. She could totally destroy you and your career at any moment. And I know how in love you are with both of those."

The actor ran a hand through his perfectly styled hair and placed a hand on Sonny's forearm. She was slightly startled at his sensitivity, but didn't have enough time to decipher what his intentions were. "Look, Sonny, I think it's sweet that you care about me, but I can handle myself."

Sonny arched her eyebrows. "Oh really?" she asked sarcastically. "So you're going to date her even though she has destroyed people's lives in the past? You actually would do something stupid like that? Chad, I know I don't give you much credit but I thought you were smarter than –"

Chad had removed his hand from Sonny's arm and clamped it over her mouth mid-sentence. "Let me talk," he said in an even tone. Sonny nodded and Chad removed his hand. "I don't care about Ashlee. I don't like her, I don't get those cheesy little butterflies when I see her. I hate how she calls me Chaddy, and I don't look forward to seeing her."

"Then why are you –"

Chad held up a hand and Sonny's mouth closed. "I'm dating her because I want her reign of destroying people to end with me. I want her to get caught in her own trap, and I want her to feel what it was like to hurt those guys."

Sonny's eyebrows furrowed in thought before she chuckled. "Chad Dylan Cooper is vindictive?"

Chad shook his head. "I want justice."

"So you'd never date a girl like that?" she asked, trying to ignore the wave of relief that had wafted over her entire body.

A perfect smile and a shake of a head was Sonny's response. For what seemed like the umpteenth time that month, Sonny apologized. "I'm sorry I doubted you and your judgment Chad. I should know that even you have better taste than to seriously date someone like Ashlee."

"I mean, don't get me wrong," Chad began, "she is gorgeous. Totally my type. Yeah, if she wasn't such a terrible human being, I'd date her."

Sonny rolled her eyes and smacked Chad's shoulder. The brunette checked her watch. "I should probably head back to rehearsal before Marshall fires me or something."

As she turned to leave, she felt Chad's hand grab her wrist and her heart leapt into her throat. Sonny turned to face the blonde, whose face had softened into a genuine smile. Still holding her wrist, he asked: "You were worried about me, weren't you?"

Denial was Sonny's first reaction in that moment. "Pf, I mean, I was worried about you losing your, uh, job. Yeah, I was worried that you'd lose your job."

Chad smirked and slid his hand into hers. The pair's fingers interlocked automatically and they broke eye contact with one another long enough to examine their intertwined hands. A blush crept onto Sonny's cheeks and Chad squeezed her hand quickly. "I think it's cute how worried you were," he replied.

Sonny's mind and heart were somersaulting, doing back handsprings and every other gymnastic move. Smiling was her only reflex. "You do?" she asked, hoping to not appear too eager.

"Yeah," he replied, letting go of her hand, much to the dismay of both actors. "I think it's so cute how much you like me, but won't admit it," Chad finished with a wink.

Sonny's eyes narrowed and she shook her head. "Chad, it's called _acting_. Clearly, I'm so good at it that I just convinced you that I liked holding hands with you."

With a roll of his blue eyes, the blonde laughed dryly. "Whatever you say, Monroe. Shouldn't you be getting back to your little comedy show?"

Angrily huffing, the brunette glared. "Isn't there a mirror somewhere getting lonely without you?"

Chad shook his head and glared back. "At least I have talent."

"At least I have a sense of humor."

"At least people watch my show."

"At least I don't push puppies."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Good."

"Good!"

"Good."

"Good!" Sonny huffed before adding: "…bye," and storming back toward her set. And she mentally cursed herself because for the rest of the week, she couldn't think of Chad without remembering what his hand felt like holding hers.

Curse that Chad Dylan Cooper.

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**Well, I hope you all enjoyed! Please review and tell me what you liked and didn't like – constructive feedback is always welcome.**


	5. You Make Me Laugh, You Make Me Cry

**Hello my faithful and devoted readers! Thank you all for reviewing and for complimenting each chapter. It seems like you all are enjoying the story so far, and I am definitely enjoying writing it. I can't believe that the story is drawing to its conclusion very shortly – we only have 2 more chapters after this one! Please keep reading and reviewing because you all really are the reason I continue to write this story! (Well, that and it's Sonny and Chad. How can you NOT write them? Haha.) **

**Disclaimers: I don't own…anything. What a tragic story.**

**Spoilers: None.**

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7 Things

"…_but nothing's ever gonna change until you hear, my dear, the seven things I hate about you. The seven things I hate about you, oh, you…"_

Chapter 5: You Make Me Laugh, You Make Me Cry

One thing.

He had only said one little thing to her – one snide little comment, oozing with sarcasm – and there she was, sitting cross-legged on her dressing room floor with a box of tissues at her side. He hadn't meant the comment. She knew that. But he had said it, hadn't he? Obviously he had been thinking about it.

Sonny yanked a tissue from its box and wiped the mascara tears that had trailed down her cheeks. Stupid Chad Dylan Cooper with his stupid comments and his stupid show. It had been in the commissary when he had walked past the _So Random!_ cast's unofficially official table. Leaning in, he had whispered:

"So if you guys are trying to decide who has the most talent out of the five of you…" he paused and blue eyes scanned the table and landed directly on Sonny before he finished snidely: "…the answer is none."

Normally, Sonny would have uttered a quick-witted response, something critiquing Chad's lack of acting skills or obsessive love of his own reflection. Instead, the brunette found herself angrily pushing back her chair and running out of the room, hot tears stinging her face as she walked.

In that moment, Sonny realized what she should have all along – she cared about what Chad Dylan Cooper thought of her. She cared about how he saw her as an actress, as a person, as a girl. Even though she would deny it to anyone else, she couldn't deny it to herself.

"_Sounds like someone cares."_

Sonny heaved a sigh as she tossed a wadded up tissue onto the tiny pile that had accumulated on the floor. Her own words had come back to bite her. How was that even possible? How was it that someone so unbelievably annoying, selfish, and irritating could make her laugh one moment or cry the next?

Chad Dylan Cooper was complex.

And Chad Dylan Cooper was currently sitting on the couch in the Randoms' prop house like he owned it, fixing his perfectly floppy blonde locks. He had been pretty stunned when Sonny had walked right out of the commissary without so much as a snappy goodbye. He wondered if what he had said could have made her upset. Vaguely, he recalled seeing her chocolate eyes shimmering as she left.

Shaking his head, the blonde listened to the approaching footsteps with interest. He kicked his feet onto the coffee table – like Sonny had told him not to do months ago – and waited for the Randoms to enter. All four filed in and…

_Wait? Four?_

Chad counted again to be sure. There were the two guys…the blonde what's-his-face and the other one whose name might have been Taco, or something like it. Then there was Tawni, admiring herself in her compact as she strutted into the room. And the littlest one who, quite frankly, scared him. Dora? Nora? Zora. That was it. With her braided pigtails swishing back and forth, the girl sashayed into the room and stopped dead in her tracks upon seeing Chad.

"You," she replied, pointing at him threateningly.

And Chad wouldn't admit it aloud, but he was scared.

The blonde actor leapt from his comfortable seating arrangement and backed away from the approaching Zora. Her three cast members looked up from where they had been previously preoccupied and glared.

"What do _you_ want?" Tawni asked, voice dripping with as much bitterness as she could muster up.

Chad held his hands up in defense. "Look, I just came in here because I thought Sonny was with you all. Where is she anyway?"

Nico and Grady shared a look before replying in unison: "In her dressing room."

"…crying," Zora added with a shake of her head.

Chad was taken aback. "Woah, woah, wait. She's crying?" His voice lowered in concern. "Was this because of what I said in the commissary? Because she knows I was only joking. We joke all the time."

"Well," Tawni huffed, "apparently you took it too far this time. She's gone through almost an entire box of tissues already."

"…two-ply," Nico added, shaking his head in disappointment.

"I didn't mean to hurt her," Chad replied honestly. He felt his heart do the strangest thing as he listened to Sonny's friends describe how upset he was. His heart sunk. "Honestly, the last thing I want to do is make Sonny cry."

_Did I just say that out loud?_

"…did you just say that out loud?" Zora asked, eyebrows arched, seemingly reading his thoughts. Chad swore that little girl was frightening sometimes.

With a dismissive wave of his hand, the blonde headed toward the exit, declaring: "I'll go talk to her."

"Don't waste your time trying to get her to open to door," Tawni explained. "We've already tried. And if she's not going to open the door for us, then she really isn't going to for you."

Chad paused near the doorframe and realized that the blonde Barbie doll had a point – if Sonny wouldn't listen to her closest friends, then what would make him think that she would open the door for the guy who had made her cry?

The little wheels inside of Zora's head seemed to be spinning and she grinned, fixing her sights on Chad. Apprehensively, the blonde asked: "What are you thinking?"

Zora smirked. "You'll see."

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Sonny pushed the pile of tissues away from her and stretched her legs out in front of her. Sitting cross-legged for the past hour had really taken a toll on her muscles. The brunette sighed and listened to the rumble of her stomach. Having rushed out of the commissary during lunch, the actress had barely had any time to eat anything.

"Hey, I can hear your stomach from up here, you know."

Sonny jumped off the floor and her head snapped around, searching for the source of the voice. Sliding open the air vent, a grinning Chad looked down on the teenage girl.

"Chad, you nearly gave me a heart attack! What are you doing up there? Wait…_how_ did you get up there?"

"Your little friend helped me get up here," he explained. "Except, now I have no idea how to get out of this thing. Here, you're gonna have to stand below me," Chad directed.

Rising from the floor, Sonny walked to the air vent and stood directly under it. "Am I expected to catch you?" she asked with a slight smile.

Chad looked down and pretended to laugh. "Ha-ha, no," he replied, squirming around. "I'm just going to turn around so my feet are facing you and I'll have to jump out."

"So I _am _expected to catch you."

"Monroe," he continued, voice fading in and out as he turned around in the air vent. "just keep your pretty little face out of the way of my feet and we'll be fine. I'm like a cat. I can land on my feet."

Taking a step back from the air vent, the brunette crossed her arms and smirked with amusement as Chad managed to make the leap from the air vent to the floor. He took a moment to steady himself, fix his suit collar, and smirk his signature smirk before looking at Sonny.

"So what's this I hear about you crying?"

Suddenly, the brunette felt embarrassed. "Look, Chad, it has nothing to do with you. I was just having a bad day and your comment set me off. That's all."

Tilting his head, Chad studied her for a moment and noticed how her eyes flickered from his own to the floor. "Nah, I'm not buying that." Walking toward where Sonny had been sitting, he sat himself down and patted the spot next to him invitingly. Sonny debated for a moment before rolling her eyes and sitting down next to him.

"So, you gonna tell Chad what's been on your mind?"

Resisting the urge to smile at how he referred to himself in the third person, Sonny sighed and looked at the pile of tissues with flushed cheeks before flinging them off to the side. From the corner of his eye, Chad noticed this and smiled. "Hey," he said seriously, looking deep into Sonny's eyes, "if something's bothering you, I'm all ears. Promise."

It was the promise that got her, and Sonny's eyes began to well up with tears again. "I just hate a lot about being in L.A. Half the time I spend here, I wish I was at home where I had friends and family who cared about me."

"Oh," Chad mumbled simply. His face fell and Sonny took notice.

"No, no, I don't mean it like that," she hastily explained. "I love everyone here, don't get me wrong. But at home, I have friends who I have known my entire life. We share tons of inside jokes and they know me inside and out."

"So what makes you think that L.A. is any different than Wisconsin?" Chad asked. "I mean, you have friends here who you have tons of inside jokes with. I could list things that would make you think of jokes with Tawni, Nico, Grady, Zora…and even me," he added.

Sonny smiled genuinely and shrugged a shoulder. "Yeah, but it still doesn't feel like home."

"Maybe it's not supposed to. Maybe you're just supposed to take home with you wherever you go."

Sonny contemplated for a moment. "Chad, that was actually deep. And it made sense."

Popping his collar, the blonde smirked with satisfaction. "I'm just amazing like that." Sonny laughed and the pair's eyes connected. Chad nudged her arm with his elbow, and with a nudge back, Sonny smiled.

"Thanks Chad," she replied honestly. "It means a lot to me that you're here." With a sharp intake of breath and a rapidly fluttering heart, she scooted an inch closer to Chad and put her head on his shoulder.

Chad's stomach became a garden full of butterflies as he felt Sonny's head on his shoulder. He looked down on her closed eyes and contented smile before slinging an arm around her shoulder and pulling her an inch closer. He shifted slightly, about to kiss the top of her head, but decided against it. It was too soon, and he didn't know how strongly she felt about him.

But for now, the view from where he was sitting amidst wads of tissues was alright. In fact, it was better than alright. It was perfect.

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**So, what did you guys think? You know what to do – hit that little button and review! We've only got two chapters left to go, and I'm saving some of my best stuff for last!**


	6. Your Friends? They're Jerks

**So I am updating tonight for two main reasons. The first is, of course, because I start classes again at college on Monday and I would like to finish up this story for you all before then. The second is that – aside from the fact that I love writing this story – I got inspired by finishing reading "Jane Eyre" tonight. It is such a good, classic book, and I recommend you all to read it at some point if you haven't already. And without further ado, I should introduce you to the second-to-last chapter of this story of mine! Please enjoy and be so kind as to let me know what you thought!**

**Disclaimer: I'm a poor college student, so don't sue me. I own nothing.**

**Spoilers: None.**

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7 Things

"…_but nothing's ever gonna change until you hear, my dear, the seven things I hate about you. The seven things I hate about you, oh, you…"_

Chapter 6: Your Friends? They're Jerks.

Zora Lancaster was minding her own eleven-year-old business, when a low-fat cranberry muffin landed with a small thud on the back of her head. As the little girl turned slowly around, she glared menacingly at the giggling table of airheads who were dressed in identical blue plaid skirts with tacky striped ties.

She turned her back momentarily on the pack of actresses before whipping her head around once more. Upon seeing the intense smolder of her eyes, the gaggle of girls hushed their giggles. Zora's mouth tugged upward in a sinister smile. "Oh, you all will be sorry," she vowed, pointing a finger at each of them, "very, very sorry."

Simultaneously, the four girls seated around the _Mackenzie Falls_ table gulped and avoided eye contact with the threatening little star. Zora slowly walked toward the exit of the commissary and after rounding a corner, laughed as she recalled the look of terror plastered across their perfect faces.

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"They threw a what at you now?"

Sonny's hands settled on her hips as she and Tawni stared at Zora who had just completed her story. The latter lifted her tiny shoulder in a shrug.

"A muffin," she replied nonchalantly. "It's no big deal," the girl added, as she saw Sonny and Tawni share a perturbed glance. "They don't know what's coming to them," she finished with a cackle.

Sonny pretended to ignore Zora's threat and instead steered the girl toward the couch, and the pair sat. "Zora, have those girls been picking on you a lot recently?"

Zora waved her hand dismissively. "I don't care, Sonny."

"They've picked on all of us since we got here," Tawni added from where she was currently admiring herself in the mirror. "They're all just a bunch of stuck-up snobs who think they're prettier than everyone else. And I mean, _clearly _I am the prettiest one here."

"…right," Sonny said slowly as Tawni flipped her hair over her shoulder and giggled excitedly at her reflection. Zora merely rolled her eyes.

"Sonny," she emphasized, placing a hand on her shoulder, "we've been telling you since day one that all of the _Mackenzie Falls_…"

"…you mean _Mackenzie Fails_," Tawni corrected, laughing too loudly at her own joke. Zora, once again, rolled her eyes at her roommate.

"Seriously, I don't know how she makes it through the day sometimes," the girl mumbled to herself before continuing her discussion with Sonny. "Back to what I was saying: the _Mackenzie Falls_…" Zora paused as Tawni giggled softly to herself, "…cast are nothing but a bunch of rich, stuck-up, barely talented teenagers who have nothing better to waste their time on than picking on shows they feel are threats."

Wheels turned in Sonny's head as she replayed event after event that had occurred during the past month and a half. There was potentially one person who could stop the unnecessary taunting between the cast members.

"What if we didn't have to get stuff thrown at us whenever we walked into the commissary? What if we could walk down these very halls with our heads held high in pride and no one around to demean us?"

Tawni and Zora contemplated before the blonde spoke. "I don't think I like where this is headed. The last time you tried out one of your peace parties, you ended up with potato salad in your face, and we ended up glued to chairs. And let me tell you," she continued, jabbing her lipstick case in Sonny's direction, "I had to throw out a perfectly good pair of pants because glue stains are impossible to get out!"

Zora remained silent as Sonny pleaded. "Look, guys, I know I can reason with them. It doesn't have to be like this, you know?"

The eleven-year-old groaned as she realized what Sonny's intentions were. "You're not seriously going to crawl over to Chad Dylan Cooper and ask him to help us, are you?"

"I really think he will this time, guys," the brunette replied, amidst groans and rolled eyes from her two roommates. "I'm serious! He's different now, and I think if I go over there and talk to him, then we can really try and resolve these differences once and for all."

"I say we let her go," Zora announced as Tawni opened her mouth to speak. With a sharp glare from the little girl, Tawni snapped her mouth shut and nodded mutely in agreement. Sonny beamed and rose from the couch.

"Good. I'll go over there now and talk to Chad and then we can put this all behind us."

As soon as the dressing room door clicked shut, Tawni turned to face Zora, her eyebrows knit angrily. "What did you glare at me for?" she demanded.

Zora reclined in the couch and smirked. "Because I'm just dying to know how this all turns out."

"How what all turns out? What's going on?"

Zora pondered for a moment before leaping up from the couch. "I bet I'd be able to hear better in the vents. I wonder if I can get to the _Mackenzie Falls _set from up there…"

"Hear what?" Tawni asked impatiently. "Hello? Zora, are you listening?" To demonstrate that she clearly was not listening, the latter walked out of the dressing room without so much as a goodbye. Crossing her arms in front of her chest, Tawni frowned. "I hate being the last to know everything."

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"Is barging into my set becoming a routine with you?" Chad asked with a raise of his eyebrow as he stared at the brunette standing in front of him.

"No, Chad, as much as you may think that I have nothing better to do with my day then spend it seeing you, I came over here because of Zora."

Chad appeared puzzled and Sonny continued. "You know," she remarked, holding her arm out just below her shoulder, "about this high, usually wearing pigtails."

Chad snapped his fingers. "Oh yeah, weird little girl."

Sonny rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, weird little girl, as you may call her, is being picked on by your jerks of friends. She got a muffin thrown at her today while she was eating lunch."

"…and you want me to do what?" the blonde asked. He looked up from where he had been flicking dust from his blazer to meet Sonny's concerned chocolate eyes. His stomach turned and he knew that if he didn't look away he would get sucked into one of her schemes or worse – one of her peace picnics. Flickering his blue eyes to the floor, Chad listened to Sonny's exasperated sigh.

"Chad, I think of you as a…friend, and as my…friend I would be really happy if you could get those _Mackenzie Falls_ girls to stop tormenting Zora, and the rest of our cast for that matter."

Sonny was on the verge of pleading with Chad, and he knew it, hence his adamant attempt to avoid eye contact. The brunette took a plunge and walked a few steps so that she was face-to-face with Chad, who was currently staring at her with utmost curiosity. Sonny placed her hand on Chad's elbow and both teenagers froze momentarily.

"Look, Chad, all I'm asking is for you to do me a favor. If we're friends at all, you'll do that for me."

"Of course we're friends," he responded, looking into her eyes sincerely. Sonny removed her hand from Chad's elbow, much to his inward dismay, and furrowed her eyebrows.

"Then why do you hang around with jerks?"

"I work with them, Sonny," Chad replied with a shrug. "I can't help it, and they can't help it either."

Sonny's eyebrows rose skeptically. "They can't help being jerks? Are you defending them, Chad? Really?"

Chad sighed. "I'm not saying that how they act is right, by any means, but they don't have it as easy as people think. Portlyn barely sees her parents, and it's been like that since she was born. Some of the girls just can't help being catty. It's not that they're hateful people, they just are the way they are."

Sonny's mass of brunette hair shook. "I'm not buying it."

"It's the truth," Chad insisted.

The pair stood in silence for a moment before Sonny boldly asked: "So if you're on a truth kick then, tell me something. How do you truly feel about me?"

Chad was nearly knocked off his feet by the abruptness of her question. He knew that at some point in time, they would have to discuss their relationship, but he didn't think it would be so soon. He knew how he felt, deep down, and the sentimental Chad within him that wanted nothing more than to sweep Sonny off her feet seemed to scream "I like you, Sonny Monroe!"

Logical Chad was a different story. Logical Chad knew that things were never going to be the same. If he spilled his heart out to her and she didn't return those sentiments, all hope was lost. Chad had never known heartbreak. He had always been the one to break hearts. He wasn't ready to face the reality of the painful experience of possibly losing the one person he truly cared for. He couldn't.

While Sonny waited, her heart seemed to slide into her throat, and her lungs seemed to be constricting. Why had she asked that? She was supposed to be talking about Zora, not about their relationship, or lack thereof. Chad ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath.

"I, uh, guess we're friends," he lied.

Sonny's heart sank and so did her face. "Oh, yeah, I knew that." The pair stared at the floor in awkwardly long silence until Portlyn burst in, announcing that Chad was needed on set.

"Yeah, I better…go," the actor responded. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something more, but shut it before striding across set.

Tears collected in the corner of Sonny's eyes and she wiped them away without a word as Portlyn watched. The two brunettes locked eyes for a moment before Sonny practically ran off set, toward her dressing room. With a compassionate sigh, the drama starlet watched the girl leave. Shaking her head, the girl contemplated running after the near-complete stranger, but decided against it and instead headed off to find Chad.

And from the ventilation system, Zora sighed sadly.

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**I know it's a sad ending, but don't worry – think of this chapter as like, a part 1 to the conclusion of the story!**


	7. You Make Me Love You

**Tonight marks my last night of summer, as I start classes again tomorrow. And thus, tonight marks another last – the last chapter of this story! Ending my first multi-chap for this fandom is bittersweet. School is going to take up a lot of my time (as is work, I am afraid) BUT I will definitely be back with some one-shots and maybe a multi-chap or two in the near future, never fear! A final thank you to ALL of my wonderful reviewers: you have made this story and have really made me smile with each kind review. You all deserve a pat on the back! Now, without further ado, I give you the last thing that Sonny Monroe hates about Chad Dylan Cooper.**

**Final Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing. Don't sue.**

**Spoilers: None!**

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7 Things

"_And now we're standing in the rain, but nothing's ever gonna change until you hear, my dear, the seven things I hate about you. The seven things I hate about you, oh, you…"_

Chapter 7: You Make Me Love You

There were seven things that Sonny Monroe really hated about Chad Dylan Cooper.

Of those seven things, six of them she would admit aloud. They were, of course, blatantly obvious flaws in Chad Dylan Cooper's character.

The seventh, however, was another story.

As the brunette teenager sat in her dressing room, she surveyed the crumpled wads of paper that had littered the floor. Scrawled on the papers were lists, and more specifically, lists of why she should not be with Chad Dylan Cooper. The papers contained every reason she could think of.

Tawni's unexpected entrance startled the brunette and she hastily attempted to kick the papers out of sight. Tawni's eyes scanned the floor and, quicker than Sonny thought possible for anyone wearing three-inch heels, the blonde scooped up an armful of the notebook paper.

"What's all of this?" she asked curiously. Opening a piece of paper, she read aloud: "_He's vain_. Who's vain?" Before Sonny could respond, the blonde uncrumpled another sheet. "_His games_." Wheels appeared to be turning in Tawni's head before she smirked. "Oh, I get it."

Deciding to play dumb, Sonny innocently asked: "What do you mean?"

Tawni mulled over a few more pieces of paper in her arms as she sunk onto the couch, still smirking. "You totally like him."

Sonny gulped and her voice automatically rose a few octaves. "What do you mean?" she repeated. "I don't like…"

Tawni held up a finger to silence her roommate. "I am so tired of your denial. We all are, to be honest."

The brunette's eyebrows knit in confusion. "What do you mean by 'we'?"

"You know," Tawni replied with a dismissive wave of her hand, "me, Zora, Nico, and Grady."

"Wait," Sonny said after a moment of hesitation, "so you all knew that I liked –"

"A-ha!" Tawni triumphantly replied, whipping around in her seat and pointing her index finger at Sonny. "I _knew _you liked him!"

Sonny's palm connected with her forehead. _Dang it_. There was no way that she could deny or worm her way out of this conversation. "I…it's…he's…and we're…complicated," she stammered before slumping her shoulders, rising from her chair, and walking a few paces toward the couch. Once there, the brunette sunk next to Tawni and buried her head in a pillow out of frustration.

"There, there," Tawni remarked while awkwardly patting Sonny's shoulder, "it's going to be okay. Aunt Tawni is here for some advice."

Sonny groaned.

"Hey!" the blonde replied with a huff, "I happen to know a lot about guys, and let me tell you that you have made this whole thing with Chad –" Sonny interrupted her friend with another groan upon hearing the actor's name mentioned. "– much more complicated than it needs to be."

The brunette poked her head out from the pillow. "You just don't know," she assured Tawni. "You have know idea how many things I really hate about him."

Appearing thoughtful for a moment, the blonde counted the papers in her arms and the remaining ones on the floor before responding. "I'm counting seven."

"That's seven too many," Sonny remarked. "If I date someone, I shouldn't hate anything about them. I should enjoy seeing them. They shouldn't be the bane of my existence."

"I think you're searching for the perfect guy, and trust me, he doesn't exist. No guy is perfect, Sonny. They all have their flaws."

Sonny rolled her eyes. "You know that Chad is the only person I can honestly say that I hate? Tawni, I have never hated anyone in my entire life."

Tawni smiled a bit. "I don't think you hate him."

"I tend to disagree."

Unfolding the paper that sat next to her on the couch, Tawni read. "_He makes me laugh and cry_. What's to hate about someone making you laugh? We do it all the time – it's pretty much our job to make people laugh when they watch our show."

Sonny couldn't argue with her logic, and that surprised her. Tawni actually had a logically valid argument? Instead, the brunette chose to half-answer her friend's question. "Well," she replied "he makes me cry. I can't date someone who makes me cry."

"Look," Tawni sighed, "no guy can ever guarantee you that he isn't going to make you cry at some point in the relationship," she explained. After she was sure that Sonny was listening, the actress continued. "But you should be with a guy who would be worth that chance."

"That makes sense," Sonny mumbled into her pillow. The brunette took a breather and cradled the pillow in her arms. "Tawni, how do you make so much sense when you talk about relationships, and yet be so self-centered and ditzy when it comes to other things?"

The blonde lifted a shoulder in a lazy shrug and examined her nails. "I think it's because when I take an interest in something I stick with it. Like me, for instance." Tawni snuck a peek over Sonny's shoulder at her own reflection in the mirror. "I mean, who _wouldn't_ take an interest in me? I'm fabulous!"

"Yes, Tawni, you are the greatest thing to ever happen to this world."

Tawni mistakenly interpreted Sonny's sarcasm as a compliment and beamed, then flipped her hair over her shoulder in a signature fashion. She turned to face her roommate and friend, changing her expression to one of calm reassurance. "Sonny, all I'm saying is that life is too short to have any regrets. If you even think in your mind that there is a possibility you want to date Chad, don't let the feud between the shows or your pride stop you."

"Really?" Sonny asked, her stomach doing a hopeful flip. "You guys wouldn't think of me as a traitor, would you?"

The vent above the pair slid open and Zora poked her head out. "We've known about you and Chad for so long that we don't even care anymore. You're kind of old news."

Sonny raised her eyebrows and Tawni hurriedly finished: "Not that we're not excited for you, because we totally are. Right, Zora?"

The little girl nodded. "Yeah, it took you long enough to admit it though."

"She has denial issues," Tawni loudly whispered.

"I do not have denial issues!"

Tawni and Zora shared a look while Sonny clamped her mouth shut, realizing her previous statement. As she opened her mouth to respond again, she shook her head. "Never mind." The brunette took a deep breath, seeming to steady herself as she rose from the couch. Tawni rose with her.

"Are you going to do it now?" the blonde asked excitedly.

Sonny wrung her hands together nervously. "I…I don't know if I can, guys. I don't even know what to say. I haven't ever told a guy I've liked him before."

Tawni placed a hand on Sonny's shoulder. "Just speak from your heart."

"And if you get rejected, we can always ship him to Scandinavia," Zora finished. Tawni and Sonny stared at each other, both confused and slightly afraid. "What?" Zora asked with a shrug. "A guy owes me a favor."

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There were seven things that Sonny Monroe really hated about Chad Dylan Cooper.

But there were also a handful of things – not that she had ever admitted them aloud – that she really did like about him.

He did have nice hair. It was the kind of hair that fell ever so slightly over his forehead. It made her want to brush it away sometimes. And then there were, of course, his eyes. _Tween Weekly _hadn't exaggerated when they had nominated him for "Best Eyes" at the awards show a few months ago. He had the kind of gentle blue eyes that drew a person in, almost like the sea did on a calm summer day. They were inviting, captivating, and she absolutely hated how much she absolutely loved them.

Surprisingly, Sonny enjoyed seeing Chad wear "normal" clothes. He was usually dressed in his _Mackenzie Falls _suit, but every once in a while she would catch him wearing everyday jeans and T-shirts. It was hard to explain, but to her he felt more like a person and less like a celebrity when he wore average clothing. There was another thing she enjoyed about Chad – he made her laugh. It was a very rare thing for Sonny to be able to come across someone with the gift of comedic timing and also a quick mind. Chad was bright, no doubt about it. And, as much as she loathed admitting it, he _was _a good actor. Calling him the "best actor of their generation" was taking it a bit too far, but she couldn't deny that he had talent. He could also make her crack a smile or chuckle. To Sonny, the gift of laughter was something to be treasured, and she had found someone who she could laugh with. That was important.

As the brunette trotted through the hallways of Condor Studios, asking fellow actors if they had seen the blonde star, butterflies tugged at her stomach as she recalled something else she liked about Chad – the way his hand felt when it held hers. The first time she had ever held hands with Chad was during their fake date. It was odd to her that she recalled the tingly feeling that danced along her palms clearly, as if it had just occurred. The second time had been at Lookout Mountain when "Bigfoot" had scared them. She was surprised how eagerly Chad had grabbed for her hands. She taunted him the rest of the week for it.

"Hey, I think Chad's on his way home," a lunch box girl from _Meal or No Meal_ informed Sonny, startling the teenager from her thoughts.

"Thanks!"

The girl from Wisconsin pushed open the studio exit only to be met by sheets of rain. She gathered herself together and her heart stopped as she noticed quite clearly a blonde head about to duck into a car.

And before she could think about the consequences, Sonny Monroe yelled. Loudly.

"Chad!"

For a moment, she didn't think he had heard her over the rain. But he had, and he must have said something to the guy who had been holding the umbrella for him, because at that moment, Chad Dylan Cooper began walking across the pouring rain in the parking lot to meet her.

As he drew closer, Sonny contemplated running back inside and forgetting about everything. She and Chad had managed to secure a decent relationship ever since she had moved to L.A. They could keep it that way, and never know what might have been. Or they could take a risk and potentially get hurt in the process. Sonny had approached the point of no return, and a puzzled Chad now stood face-to-face with her, blonde hair sticking to his head as beads of rain dripped down.

His confusion evident, Sonny took a deep breath and began. "You know that there are a bunch of things I really hate about you Chad?"

"Yeah," Chad replied slowly. "I think we have established the fact that you hate me."

Sonny shook her wet brunette mass of hair and some strands accidentally flung into her face, sticking to her cheeks. As she brushed them away, she continued. "I realized something today. I don't hate you, I just hate things _about _you."

"Okay…" Chad responded. He didn't know where Sonny was going with her conversation. In fact, he didn't know why he was currently standing in the rain with his perfect hair soaked. Then again, he didn't know why he did a lot of things when he was around Sonny.

Sonny took a step closer to Chad, which seemed to surprise both of them. "But there are a lot of things I have realized I hate about you. I hate how vain and insecure you are. I hate it when you hit on other girls and then flirt constantly with me. I hate how you can make me laugh and then say something to make me cry. I hate how you are friends with a bunch of jerks and it hurts me to see you act like them sometimes."

Pausing her rant, Sonny squinted and looked up at the sky. The raindrops were now falling slower and she could almost see the sun beginning to peek out from behind slate-gray clouds. Chad followed her gaze, still attempting to absorb the information she just presented him with.

Sighing, the brunette seemed to struggle to find the right words. "And then, I realized that there's a lot that I actually do like about you."

Chad's signature smirk played on his face. "Oh, really? And what, pray tell, would that include?"

Sonny glared at her companion and shook her head. "I may think you have nice eyes and hair, okay?"

"I won't tell anyone your secret," Chad promised with a wink. Secretly, his mind was a football stadium full of cheering and screaming. So he really wasn't imagining things – she actually did like him.

"There's one more thing that I really do hate about you though Chad," Sonny began honestly. Chad's eyes urged her to continue and the brunette sighed before mumbling something and looking at her shoes with interest.

"What?"

Sonny, again, mumbled.

"Sonny, there's still a little bit of rain and it's hard to hear you."

"You make me fall in love with you," the brunette blurted out.

Chad's eyes widened. "Woah, definitely wasn't expecting that."

Sonny's heart fell and she nodded. "I completely understand. I kind of took you off-guard and we should really talk before I say things like that, but you know me, sometimes my mind and mouth don't think at the same time and I ramble and –"

He kissed her.

He really didn't know what else to do to shut her up, so he opted to kiss her, just like Matthew McConaughey or Hugh Grant would have done in one of their chick flicks. He simply yanked her arms and pressed his lips to hers. But suddenly, Sonny began to relax and let her arms slide up to his neck. Chad wrapped his arms around her back and both sighed happily in unison.

After breaking apart, the two were silent for a moment. The rain had stopped during their kiss and now the sun was beginning to heat up the pavement around them. Steam radiated from puddles of rainwater at their feet and Sonny licked her lips, beaming.

"So, uh, what just happened?"

Chad ran a hand through his damp bangs and smiled. "I guess I can say that I feel the same way as you do," he concluded.

"Is this going to be weird?" the brunette asked honestly.

Chad didn't even have to think before he responded. "No." Noticing that Sonny was still smiling, he smirked and popped his collar. "I always knew that you'd fall for me."

Sonny laughed. "Oh, come on. We all know that it was you who fell for me."

"Was not," he insisted. "_You _just admitted it to me."

"Uh, if I remember correctly, someone was more than a little bit jealous of James and Hayden. Who might that person be?" Sonny pretended to think for a moment and then remarked: "Yes, Chad Dylan Cooper, that was you."

Chad narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, well…" He paused for a moment. "…no comment."

Sonny let out a chuckle. "You are such a dork."

"It takes one to know one."

"That is the _lamest _comeback in the history of lame comebacks."

"Yeah, well…"

"Don't even try to say 'no comment' again."

"I wasn't going to," Chad huffed. "I was just going to say 'fine.'"

"Well then, fine."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Good."

"Good!"

"…we're going to have to work on this arguing versus dating thing, aren't we?"

Sonny nodded her head. "I'm thinking yes."

"Good," Chad replied, still smirking as Sonny smacked his arm playfully. He caught her hand and watched as she blushed. Intertwining her fingers with his, the two walked back toward Condor Studios, smiles plastered across both of their faces.

"Good!" Sonny whispered as she nudged Chad. The blonde merely shook his head and just continued to smile. He didn't care if she won their arguments. He had won her heart. And at the end of the day, that was all that mattered.

* * *

**Aw, well that was a very fluffy ending to this very fun story to write. It really came out much cheesier than I intended, but it's Chad and Sonny, so I love it anyway. Thank you again for reading this story, and if you all want to hear more from me, just put me on Author Alerts! Thanks again, everyone!**


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